For the Ojibwe, harvesting food provisions followed seasonal cycles determined by the availability of plants, game animals, and fish. Though the time of each year’s seasonal activities varied, the Ojibwe calendar reflected the importance of these harvests through months called moons. For example, Iskigamizige Giizis (April) was the Boiling Down Sap Moon and indicated the start of the harvest season, as indicating by warming temperatures. Other moons included the Ode’ imini Giizis, the Strawberry Moon (June), that indicated the time of gathering and Manoominike Giizis, the Wild Rice Making Moon (August), that marked the gathering of wild rice needed to avoid winter starvation.
Native American Fisheries
Maple Sugar and Maple Syrup
19th Century Commercial Maple Products
Native American Wild Rice